Recipe~ Red Velvet Cupcakes & Cream Cheese Frosting from Martha Stewart

I was looking for the best red velvet cupcake recipe and after trying many, came to the conclusion Martha Stewart’s recipe is divine! Since I’m from the school, “If it aint broke, don’t fix it”, why experiment with perfection? I shot the picture and debated a very long time whether or not to post the recipe, and came to the conclusion a recipe, is a recipe, is a recipe! Enjoy!

Martha Stewart’s Red Velvet Cupcakes
Makes 24

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted

2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.

Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth.

Recipe~ Mediterranean Tomato Soup

This is a wonderful soup that is delicious and full of flavor. It’s also low in fat and cholesterol, and can be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth. 

Mediterranean Tomato Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
28 ounce can whole tomatoes (and basil) with juice
1 large onion, diced (3/4 cup)
2 celery stalks, diced (1/2 cup)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 teaspoons fresh basil, julienned
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable stock)
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground celery seed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons tomato paste

In a large, dutch oven or large saucepan,over medium heat add 3 tablespoons of olive, onions and celery. Sweat vegetables,  until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add tomatoes (with a large spoon, break up tomatoes into small pieces), chicken broth, tomato paste, basil leaf, celery seed, basil and oregano. Stir mixture. On low heat, simmer soup mixture for 20-30 minutes. Add baking soda ( soup will slightly foam) and stir soup. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes more, add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Puree soup in a food processor. Ladle into bowls with a toasted or grilled slice of garlic french bread topped with melted mozzarella cheese. Enjoy!

Note: I’ve also used this tomato soup over pasta and added freshly, grated Parmesan cheese for a quick and easy lunch. If you prefer cream of tomato soup, add milk or half and half to taste. This is a wonderfully versatile and delicious soup, that is so easy to make!

Recipe~ Savory Salmon Tart

Savory Salmon Tart

Makes 12 small tarts

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup 2% or whole milk
1- 14 ounce can of salmon, bones and dark skin removed
2 1/2 to 3 cups fresh or frozen mixed vegetables peas, corn, green beans (your preference)
2 3/4 (divided) cups swiss cheese, grated
1/8 teaspoon fresh, grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/3 cup of white or Fre White wine (non-alcohol)
2-10 ounce packages of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry shells-ready to bake (makes 12 small tarts)

Remove shells from package and place shells on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. In a preheated oven, bake shells according to directions. Remove from oven, and while still warm, with a knife, cut around the pastry ‘top’ and remove both the top and gooey interior. Be careful not to crush or cut through the outer shell. Let cool to room temperature.

In a large saucepan, over medium to low heat-melt butter and add flour. Cook, stirring continually for approximately 5 minutes. Note: Do not brown the flour. Slowly add milk, and with a whisk, stir until mixture is hot and well blended. Add 1/3 cup of wine and frozen vegetables. Stir with a slotted spoon, stir often and cook vegetable mixture for 5 minutes.  Add, flaked salmon, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Add 2 cups grated swiss cheese, and heat until cheese is melted and sauce is well blended.

Fill shells with sauce mixture and top with remaining 3/4 cup grated swiss cheese. Bake for 15 minutes at 325 degrees, or until cheese is melted. Check to make sure shells do not over brown. Serve with a lovely green salad.
This recipe is wonderful for a tea, as an appetizer or main course (2 per person).

Enjoy!

Recipe~ Blueberry Almond French Toast Casserole

I’m always on the lookout for recipes you can make and bake later. I thought this would be a perfect blend of my love of blueberries and bread pudding. You can make it the night before, and bake in the morning! Perfect as breakfast for a bunch, brunch or for dessert served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Enjoy! Annie

Blueberry Almond French Toast Casserole

Ingredients

1 (24-inch) loaf of French bread
6 large eggs
zest from 1 lemon
3 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup melted butter

Butter a 9 x 13 casserole. Slice french bread into 1-inch slices and place standing up in rows, then tilting bread so they lay stacked at an angle. To make the custard~ In a large bowl add: eggs, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, brown sugar, and lemon zest. Whisk together until well blended. Pour over french bread slices. Cover casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, until custard is completely absorbed.

Next morning, remove casserole from refrigerator and check to see if custard is completely absorbed. If not, turn over bread slices into remaining custard and let stand for 20 minutes. Sprinkle blueberries over and between bread slices. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of sliced almonds. Drizzle melted butter over bread. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place casserole in the oven and immediately turn heat down to 350 degrees and bake 45-55 minutes, until blueberries pop and bread is browned. Watch carefully the last 10 minutes for over browning.
Serve with maple syrup or Dickinson’s Blueberry Syrup. Enjoy!

Muriel Placzek’s Best Ice Box Cookies~ Brown Sugar Ice Box

Muriel Placzek’s Brown Sugar Ice Box Cookies
Photo To Come

My mom made ice box cookies, and I never met anyone else who did. These wonderful confections are perfect with a cup of tea, coffee or an ice-cold, glass of milk. Here is one of her recipes, I’m so happy to share with you (and a few more to come).

1 1/4 cups brown sugar (light)
1 cup butter (softened)
2 eggs
3 cups flour (sifted)
3 teaspoons, baking powder
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extra
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a medium-sized bowl, sift together: flour, baking powder  and salt. In a large mixing bowl~ cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until well blended. Add walnuts and sifted flour mixture. Beat until thoroughly blended.

Divide dough in half and roll into 2 logs, and wrap each log in plastic wrap. On a tray, add about 1/2 to 1″ of uncooked rice (this helps the log keep its rounded shape) and place logs on the rice, and chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove a cookie log from the refrigerator and thinly slice cookies (about 1/4-inch thick), placing them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Keep a careful eye on the cookies, so they don’t overly brown.

© Mariann Hayes and Willow Cottage 2012. All rights reserved.

Rhubarb Custard Pie

This is a tried and true recipe that I’ve been making for many years. Don’t let the word ‘custard’ fool you. This isn’t a pie that has rhubarb swimming in a custard of pudding-like consistency. This custard creates a lovely topping that makes this pie special. Enjoy!

Rhubarb Custard Pie

~Ingredients~
One pie crust, your recipe or ready made
4 cups, washed, unpeeled, and diced rhubarb
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons milk ( you may need 1 or to more tablespoons )
1/4 teaspoon fresh, grated nutmeg

~Directions~
Pre-heat oven 400.  Place pie crust in pan and add rhubarb into pie crust.

In a medium-sized bowl:
Add egg yolks and with a fork,  beat until light.
Add sugar, nutmeg and mix with a spoon until smooth.
Add flour and blend into mixture. At this point, the custard may appear rather stiff.
Add milk  and 1 or two tablespoons more, until the mixture is spreadable, not liquid and runny.

Spread the mixture over the rhubarb covering to the edges. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees, You may want to add aluminum foil over the edges, to prevent over-browning. After 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Remove aluminum foil. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. Bake until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean. Remove pie from oven to a heat-proof surface or rack, until it is completely cooled. Serve with a large dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Raspberry Mousse

~Raspberry Mousse~

Fresh raspberries make this a wonderfully light, richly flavored, and luscious dessert. 

~Raspberry Mousse~
6 servings

2 pints raspberries, washed
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
6 egg whites, (I use pasteurized eggs)
1/3 cup of sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups whipping cream
(Optional: 2 tablespoons Chambord for additional flavor)

~Instructions~
Reserve 6 raspberries for garnish. Place the rest of the raspberries in a blender or food processor; puree on medium.
Strain puree through a fine sieve to remove seeds.

In a medium saucepan:
Add 1/3 raspberry puree
Mix in: gelatin and sugar
Stir mixture together and cook over low heat until gelatin is dissolved (takes a 2-3 minutes).
Remove from heat and add the rest of the raspberry puree, (Chambord), and lemon juice.
Pour puree into a medium bowl and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
You want to chill the mixture, until you can remove mounded spoonfuls, do not allow the mixture fully gel.
If this happens, place in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften the mixture. Stirring halfway so there’s no hot spots.
Once the puree has chilled sufficiently, remove from the freezer and keep at room temperature, while you prepare the whipped cream and egg whites.

In a large bowl, with  your mixer on high speed: beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
Gradually add 1/3 cup of sugar (2 tablespoons at a time) until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Next, using the same beaters, on medium speed, beat chilled raspberry mixture until light about two minutes.
In another large bowl, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks.

Gently fold the raspberry mixture, and whipped cream into the whipped egg whites, until it’s well mixed.
Spoon raspberry mousse into 6-8 ounce ramekins and refrigerate until fully set, a minimum of 2 hours.
Garnish with a fresh raspberry and mint sprig.
For an additional garnish, make chocolate curls using a vegetable peeler, shave the sides of a chocolate bar.
Enjoy!

Chicken Paillard with Port Mushroom Sauce~Romantic Dinner for Two

A dinner that not only is absolutely delicious and is also surprisingly easy to make. This recipe can be doubled to serve four. However, it’s perfect for a romantic dinner for two.

Chicken Paillard with Port Mushroom Sauce

Photography Mariann Hayes

~Chicken Paillard~
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (butterflied and flattened)
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly, ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh Italian parsley for garnish

~Port Mushroom Sauce~
8 ounces, sliced mushrooms (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup Port
2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1. Prepare and butterfly chicken breasts.
2. Make Port Mushroom sauce
3. Saute chicken breasts

Prepare Chicken Breasts
Prepare Chicken Breasts: Butterfly chicken and place onto a sheet of wax paper, cover chicken with another sheet of wax paper and flatten chicken breast with a rolling pin, or meat pounder until 1/2-inches thick. Place a sheet of wax paper over both breasts to keep from drying out.

Prepare Port Mushroom Sauce
Brown Mushrooms

Preheat a large skillet on medium,when it’s hot melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add 1 tablespoon butter. Add sliced mushrooms.

Note: Remember not to crowd the mushrooms, or they will not brown. Saute on medium until nicely browned. Turn over mushrooms and brown on the other side. Remove mushrooms from skillet and add port wine, scraping the sides and bottom of skillet. Reduce heat to medium low and reduce port wine by half. Keep warm.

Making the Sauce
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter until it no longer foams. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and continually stir while cooking until flour becomes nut brown. Slowly add 1 1/2 c ups of chicken broth and port wine reduction; whisk until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Strain sauce through a sieve so it is smooth and velvety. Add sauted, brown mushrooms, and reduce heat to low or remove from heat.

Saute Chicken Breasts

In a large skillet, I prefer to use cast iron, heat pan over medium heat. While pan is heating, on a large platter or cookie sheet add flour, salt and pepper and mix well. Dredge chicken breasts in flour mixture. Remove from flour mixture and pat until all excess flour has been removed. When skillet has become hot, add butter and olive oi. Do not add your chicken breasts until the  butter has stopped frothing and turned a very light nut brown. Place flour coated chicken breast in the pan and cook 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Turn over and cook another 4 minutes. Remove chicken breast to plate (cover with aluminum foil to keep warm ) and cook second breast.

Serve Chicken Paillard on a plate with a sauce poured over middle and sprinkled with chopped, fresh Italian parsley.. Serve with a lovely salad and white wine for a lovely romantic, meal. Enjoy!

Black Forest Cobbler~ Easy and Decadently Delicious

I was looking for a very quick and easy dessert that didn’t require a great deal of time, and came up with this lovely, delicious and unusual dessert. If you serve it warm, it will have a wonderful texture similar to chocolate lava cake with a brownie topping. If you refrigerate it for at least 4 hours, it will resemble chocolate pudding with whole cherries with a brownie crumble on top. Positively easy, and so deliciously rich!  Enjoy!

 Black Forest Cobbler

~Ingredients~

1- Devil’s Food boxed cake mix
2- 12 ounce bags of frozen cherries
2 teaspoons almond extract
16 ounces cherry cola
( I used Cherry Pepsi, you can also use diet for cutting calories)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter the inside of a medium casserole, or 8 x 8-inch pan. Open and pour cherries into the bottom of pan. Sprinkle cherries with almond extract. Open cake mix package and sprinkle cake mix over cherries. Gently pour cola over cake mix until it is completely moistened. DO NOT stir. If you find large spots of dry cake mix, gently stir that area until moistened. Place in a preheated oven for 55-60 minutes. Let it cool for 15 minutes to serve warm with ice cream and it will resemble a lava cake. If you let it cool more than 4 hours, serve it chilled with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It will resemble chocolate pudding with whole cherries and brownie crumbles. Absolutely decadent and very, very easy. A marvelous dessert for company, You can never, ever have enough chocolate!

A Tea Story~ My Mother's Depression Glassware

Reblogged from Everyday Tea:

~My Mother's Depression Glassware~

My mother and father were married over 50 years, most of it lived at their home in Oak Park Heights. The house is no longer there, torn down for a federal bridge project that is waiting to be constructed over the St. Croix River. In their last years living on Peabody Avenue, they experienced more health ailments and physical problems arose.

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